What Does A Sump Pump Do?

The purpose of a sump pump is to help to prevent flooding in a lower level floor like a basement. They are an essential piece of equipment if the foundation of the home sits below the water table.

Sump pumps pull water away from the house and depending on your property, either disperses it or dumps it into a well or municipal storm drain.

How Does A Sump Pump Work?

The majority of sump pumps use electricity to work - so know that it must be installed near an outlet that has a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).

But there are "water pumps" available that don't use electricity. Instead these run on your home's water pressure.

Sump pumps are normally installed in a crawlspace or the lowest area of your basement. A hole is dug out to create a pit and the sump pump is inserted into that pit.

There are "pedestal sump pumps" which are installed above ground. These tend to be less expensive and easier to maintain.

When the sump pump detects excess water it automatically turns on (it's activated by a float device).

Most pumps also have a device that looks and sounds like a fan. You will hear that turn on when the pump begins working. (Note: pedesal sump pumps are much noisier than the submersed pumps.)

The water collected by the sump pump is then sent through a pipe away from your building. Where it actually ends up will depend on your property, your home owners association (if you have one) and any laws and regulations in your area.

The city of Marietta, Ga has published a Homeowner's Guide to Drainage and although these rules may not apply to every city / town in Georgia, they do give you an idea of the kind of guidelines that are in place.

Maintaining a sump pump is a task that should be included in your yearly household chores. Read more here about how you can maintain your sump pump properly so that it will keep on working for you when and if you ever need it.

Do You Need A Sump Pump?

As I mentioned above, sump pumps are meant for homes that sit below the water table on your property.

If you live in an area that is near a water table or your home is at a lower level than your street (many homes in Georgia have driveways that go down from the street to the garage) then your lower level or basement may be susceptible to flooding.

If your home meets these conditions then the answer is YES, you do need a sump pump.